Joseph Zimmer, DDS

I’ve been going to Dr Zimmer for about 8 years. Dr is always friendly, never pushy and seems to generally have your best interests in mind. I’ve also seen several different hygienists in that time and all have been great. And, I’m pretty sure it’s got one of the best views in Seattle from the chairs.

Been a patient of dr Z’a for 12 years. He did gum surgery on me and helped me figure out my jaw problems 8 years ago and has been my dentist all along. I remember when his office was just a couple chairs in a small office. It’s great to see how he’s grown the practice and I think it speaks for his talent. Also he has amazing yearly roof deck parties for his patients. One year he had the moon doggies perform! I mean come on.

In the 9 years that I’ve been coming to see Joseph Zimmer I’ve never had a bad experience.
He took out my wisdom teeth and even put an implanted tooth in. I’m always raving about my dentist. Which I know most people don’t like going to the dentist, but since I actually don’t mind it at all.
Plus Dr. Zimmer throws a fantastic party for his patients!
It shows that he truly loves his job!

Dr. Zimmer and his team are awesome! Their care and professionalism shows in every interaction I have. Dr. Zimmer is clear in describing what my options are and never pushes me into doing anything I’m not ready for — plus the office environment is as gorgeous as a medical office could possibly be. Previous reviews complained about wait time — Dr. Zimmer is clearly doing his best to see all his patients, if that means that sometimes there is a wait then c’est la vie, I would much rather that than previous dentists whom I only saw the assistants for most visits. Yay for Dr. Zimmer!

Teeth cleaning today. Super gentle around the sensitive areas along gum line. No zingers.

I read a bunch of reviews before writing this. It seems you love Dr. Z or you hate him — no in between. Apparently in the 8 or so years I have been going to him I have only seen him on his good days. Does he sometimes keep me waiting? You bet. So does every doctor I know because they can’t plan their time very well due to having to deal with what walked in the door, be it routine or an emergency. I am sure I have made doctors late when I had a problem needing a little extra time.
While I obviously don’t know for sure that what he tells me about my teeth is necessary or not, he has a very conservative attitude, which I appreciate. He saved a tooth another dentist was going to pull by applying a little slower approach and some TLC to it, rather than just yanking it.
As for his staff, the hygienists have always been careful and seemingly thorough, no matter the condition of my mouth. I also have a very small mouth and it is hard to do adult X-​Rays, but they have always patiently worked with me to minimize any pain and still get what they need.
Dr. Zimmer is well briefed about my concerns, and what the hygienist found, but does his own exam. He has always explained a situation to me and given me the options available. Finally, he seems to be on the cutting edge of technology to make things easier for the patients and staff. I appreciate that attitude, as so many professionals get in a rut and don’t continue to progress along with the field.

Dr. Zimmer and his staff are wonderful! I have been going to him for several years and have recommended him to many family and friends who all agree that he is kind, efficient and makes you feel very comfortable. The office is beautiful with a bright white open space and unique art throughout. If you drive and park in the building they will validate parking for you.

Dr. Zimmer has a super staff that translates into no waiting time after you arrive. His assistants are great and knowledgeable, and Dr. Zimmer himself is very detailed oriented. So pleased with him and his entire team. I highly recommend him!

Really love coming to Dr. Zimmer’s office! I had to get my wisdom teeth extracted and I was extremely nervous. I had seen several maxillofacial surgeons in the area and didn’t feel comfortable with any of them. Dr. Zimmer and the rest of his staff took the time to talk with me, explain the procedure, and relieve my anxiety. I was even given a choice of sedation which made me feel much better. Everything went as smoothly as possible and I’ve been back for several procedures since then. Dr. Zimmer and his staff are courteous, friendly and professional. Highly recommended!

I think very highly of Dr Z and his team. He has taken care of my Dad, my husband and myself for 20 years with great service and excellent help. His hygenists have all been gentle and careful. I have absolutely no complaints, and would not stay if I didn’t have full confidence in him and his staff. I feel very lucky each time I go to the dentist. His office is beautifully fitted out which makes the experience more pleasurable. This is a bonus for an otherwise totally satisfactory experience.

Dr. Zimmer (and his team) is the third dentist I have had in the past year. He is a bit out of my way, seeing how I live on the eastside and I had to make the drive downtown for a 9am appointment. My previous dentist informed me that I needed 4 crowns replaced. I was shocked. Instead of spending all that time and money, I happened to learn about Dr. Zimmer and had my records forwarded to him. He completely disagreed with my previous dentists’ assessment. I did get one crown replaced and it was done in one sitting, within a couple of hours and it fit perfectly. Good thing I didn’t get all that unnecessary and costly work done from my previous dentist. I also got my teeth cleaned while the crown was being made in the room behind me. A big shout out to his staff as well. All were very personable, professional and very knowledgable.

Zimmer’s dental work is negligent (possibly could be considered as malpractice) and resulted in my lost tooth. After several appointments to address an filling that continued to ache I took my friend’s advice and visited her dentist in Renton. I live in Seattle but was desperate so made the drive. The Renton dentist removed the filling on the aching tooth and discovered a cavity was still there. It had not been completely removed by Zimmer before he filled the tooth. The cavity had penetrated so deep that it was near the nerve and the tooth at risk of a root canal and crown. The Renton dentist was able to save the tooth, but let me know it would only be a matter of time that the root canal and crown would be needed (sure enough, this happened a few years later). I’ve been making the drive to Renton for over 10 years and have never forgotten how horrible of a dentist Zimmer is. Since Zimmer ignored my request to explain himself (I gave him the opportunity to «make things right») I feel compelled to share this review 10+ years later! Zimmer’s in the business for the money, not for your dental care.

Summary and my advice: if you value your time, know that this dentist does not.
I was thinking that posting this was a waste of my time, however, on second thought, I think it might help others.
It appears to me that this dentist doesn’t care about time — at least others time.
I found the hygienist (Anna in my case) to be very good my first visit and was told I had a small cavity which could wait until my next visit.
The next visit rolled around (traditional 6 months later); cleaning which went well (with Anna again), then the novocaine injections which were OK. I was asked to go downstairs to another procedure room and was told the dentist would be in to see me «soon».
There I sat, 10, 20, 30 minutes. I asked if the dentist would be much longer. The assistant looked up my time on the computer and said he’s running late. I told her that I didn’t appreciate waiting and to tell the dentist that as well.
A total of 45 minutes later the assistant put a «dam» in my mouth (normal for doing a filling) and a couple of minutes later, the dentist came in — I feel that the dam was placed prior to his appearance such that I wouldn’t be able to speak…
During the procedure (which was performed rather quickly and roughly), the dentist proceeded to talk to another assistant about other patients — outcomes of other patients, what drugs to deliver, etc. including those patients names. This is a clear HIPAA violation…
While I was still in the chair, he said to me «Rough introduction to my practice — that’s all I’m offering». He left — no explanation and no apology.
I was asked if I’d like to set my next appointment by the front desk on my way out — I said «that won’t be necessary».

Dr Zimmer is the best dentist ever. I moved away from Seattle so had to stop seeing him. I went to a new dentist in my new town and he told me I needed 4 fillings. Dr Zimmer looked at the Xrays and confirmed what I suspected, that the guy was trying to upsell me and there was nothing wrong with my teeth. He saved me a ton of pain and money. If I still lived in Seattle I would be seeing Dr Zimmer forever.
His staff is also very friendly and their offices are great. I highly recommend them.

Dr. Zimmer is a wonderful person and dentist. I have enjoyed all my experiences with his office and staff. The environment is very friendly and relaxing (not to mention beautifully decorated). I would highly recommend a visit!

I have been coming to Dr. Zimmer for years and have always had the most comprehensive care. Dr. Z takes care to explain everything going on and has lots of technology that makes the experience much more pleasant than most other dentists. The staff is great and the office is like an art gallery or a spa. The feeling of being pampered while getting your teeth cleaned or other procedures is certainly not typical of other dentists I have seen. I recommend all of my friends go here. I would recommend him to anyone.

I have been seeing Joseph Zimmer for nearly 2 years and never had a bad experience with him. Well, I didn’t ever find the front desk staff to be friendly at all, which has always been a turn off from coming back.
It wasn’t until recently when I decided to get my wisdom teeth removed that I had the worst experience. I came in because I wanted to know what options were available to me. They sat me down and I waited for over an hour, only to have Dr. Zimmer come in for 2min, looks at my teeth, and tells me that they need to be removed. His assistant then gives me a sheet of the estimated costs.
2 weeks later I get a «consultation» bill that I thought was outrageous, especially for making me wait over an hour to only see him for less than 5min.
If they are being shady with billing on «small» items like this, I can only imagine what this is like for bigger procedures, especially when they go bad. I ended up going with a dental surgeon instead and had such a better experience, with no shady charges. I’ve yet to decide if I am going to find a different dentist, this experience definitely put a sour taste in my mouth.
From the sounds of other reviews, this place is perfect until something goes wrong, and then it becomes the worst place possible.

I have easy, healthy teeth — no cavities, no crowding, strong (though I could floss more frequently) — so I don’t really need much besides biannual cleanings. Almost anyone can clean my teeth without fuss, but I appreciate the extras that Dr Zimmer’s office provides, including:
— a beautiful penthouse office with a panoramic view of the city
— spacious, light, almost futuristic interior
— distinctive glittery artwork of a scantily-​clad woman clutching a tiger cub and descending from a helicopter. This is posted to the ceiling for patients to admire with their mouths open
— attractive staff. This is a little weird, like they have some kind of affirmative action program for the beautiful. I’ve never seen a group of dental hygienists who are, collectively, a «7». The staff, along with the interior, makes the experience very «Minority Report”-like to me.
Cleanings are easy and I’m usually in and out. The doctor only sees patients who have problems or have x-​rays taken. So I only talk to him once a year.

Horrible!!!
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Do NOT ever step foot in this office. Joseph Robert Zimmer is negligent, and I have the mouth to prove it. I visited his office every six months for cleaning and exams and always was told, «You have beautiful teeth!» but now that I finally switched dentists, I learned just how little Joseph Zimmer actually cares about his patients and their health and now it’s going to take a couple of years to fix the damage caused by Joseph Zimmer providing inaccurate exams and careless dental work.
PS — Mr. Joseph R. Zimmer has been investigated by the health department in 2003 for malpractice and in 2004 for failing to provide a patient with their medical records. Check out his dental license status, it’s pretty rare to have enforcement action taken against legit providers:
He also has been a defendant in a number of medical malpractice lawsuits:

PPS — Apparently Joseph Zimmer likes to retaliate against patients he has neglected by breaking HIPAA violations as well. Unethical little man.
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I visited Joseph Zimmer’s office yesterday for some dental work and upon my arrival, I was told that I actually needed twice the work I was initially told that I needed and I would have to book another appointment to complete all of the work. This left me concerned that I have not been receiving accurate dental exams from Joseph Zimmer.
During the appointment, Joseph Zimmer performed some of the work but soon left me in the hands of an inept assistant. I was in pain for the entire hour that she worked on my teeth, during which time, numerous uninvolved people entered and left my exam room like a circus. This woman was in such a rush working on my teeth that she punched me in the forehead! And sliced open my lip with a dental tool!
At 5pm, Joseph Zimmer came back to complete my dental work, at which time, the woman working on my teeth for the last hour asked for permission to go home, which she was granted, and she also admitted that the angle that she was working on my teeth was difficult for her. That left me feeling less than confident in her abilities.
The woman working on my teeth for the last hour ended up leaving without saying a word to me, while I had to stay for Joseph Zimmer to rush through finishing my dental work. When he finished, he did not ask me if my teeth felt okay, which they certainly did not. Upon getting out of the exam chair, I spit out a chunk of tooth and when I got home, I even pulled out some adhesive that they sloppily left in my mouth. My mouth felt itchy and in pain as I left, and my teeth were left sharp and jagged.
Now, the next day, I am still in pain, which I haven’t experienced following other similar dental procedures at other dental offices.
The most humorous part was when I emailed Joseph Zimmer to explain the horrible experience I had at his hands, and his response was that I was silent and should have said something during my appointment. I’m sorry Joseph Zimmer, but I had a dental dam in my mouth and was unable to say one word. Upon leaving, the entire office was shut down and there was nobody around to discuss my concerns with. That’s why I emailed. He also noted that Alicia, the inept, rushed assistant, worked overtime without complaining — how this is my concern, I do not know. I booked an appointment for three procedures during their regular office hours and suddenly, that became too much for Joseph Zimmer and I unwittingly had to suffer the consequences through an overly rushed and careless procedure.
Overall, I highly recommend going elsewhere. In fact, I have cancelled all upcoming appointments and will not be returning to Joseph Zimmer’s office. Nobody deserves to visit a dentist where the procedure is chaotic, overly painful, and rushed. Nobody should be passed off to an inexperienced assistant who only cares about going home, rather than the living, breathing patient in the exam room. And finally, nobody should experience the extreme lack of courtesy and lack of accountability that I experienced at the hands of Joseph Zimmer and his employees.
TL;DR: Failure to diagnose, rushed procedures and exams, sloppy and painful work, inexperienced assistants, lack of courtesy, and zero accountability. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

Dr. Zimmer was my primary dentist for over ten years, until I became disabled and could no longer afford him even though his prices are at the fair market rate.
My experience throughout those 10yrs were without exception positive. Dr. Zimmer’s knowledge is extensive and his state of the art equipment ensured all my procedures to be pain free and that includes extensive repair and finally, full extractions and Dentures. His office is scrupulously clean, air conditioned, and restful to the eye. He employs a staff that is well mannered and the Doctor will discuss all aspects of your procedure and what to expect before he begins. Some of the hateful reviews and name calling here deeply puzzle me after knowing the man for 10yrs and regard him as gentle, caring, sensitive, extremely knowledgeable of his profession and a true craftsman/​artist in his work. I found his sense of humor, his cat and his roof garden, always encouraged a relaxed atmosphere. I highly recommend his services, especially nervous patients, who need quality work.